A Faith Story
by WaningMoon
Summary: AU. Title subject to change. After her father died and her stepmom took over, Faith managed to keep her sanilty with the help of someone she met in a chat room. What happens when she finds out that he's a guy she hates?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The plot and the characters do not belong to any of us. The characters belong to Joss Whedon and the plot basically follows 'A Cinderella Story'.**

**A/N: This story will be co-written with my really good friend and Buffy-Charmed fanatic,psycho-fangirl a.k.a. Aradhna. She's got a really good story up, but she hasn't updated in quite a while. (Hint hint!)As I said before, the plot belongs to 'A Cinderella Story'. This story is AU and we _might_ change the characters' personalities as we go along.**

**Chapter 1**

**_I used to believe in fairy tales. Every night my dad would read them to me. I had no mom. It was just me and my dad. My mum had died when I was very little because of cancer. My dad owned this quaint little café in Sunnydale named Jenny's named after my mom. _**

But apparently Rupert Giles, Faith's father,did not think so. There was still one person he felt Faith needed. Someone to be her mother. Enter Gwendolyn Post. After a few months they had gotten married. Faith wasn't too happy, but she had tried her best to get along with Gwendolyn and her two daughters, Drusilla and Harmony. Drusilla was the older than Faith and Harmony by a year, and sometimes Faith felt that she was crazy too.

Then it happened. Rupert died in a car crash. Faith felt as though her world had shattered around her, and she had refused to wear anything but black for a whole month. Her father had loved to read her fairy tales, and Faith's favourite was Cinderella. Now she felt just like the character in the story. A girl, orphaned, raised by her evil stepmother, made to do all the housework while her stepmother and wicked stepsisters looked on, laughing. It had started out with Faith moving her room to the basement, so Drusilla could have her room. Then, when Faith was twelve, Gwendolyn had made her start work as a waitress in the café, which she had renamed Gwen's.

Now, four and a half years later, Faith sat at the computer in her room, smiling as her fingers flew over the keyboard, interacting with someone she only knew as thebloody. She was CinderellasFaith, and she loved talking to him, whether it was texting, or e-mailing, or even IM. All she knew was that he was her dream guy. Perfect, sweet and someone who kinda knew what she was going through. Someone who…connected with her.

"Faith!" her stepmother's screechy voice drifted down the stairs, breaking into Faith's happy thoughts. "Faith! Get up here right now!"

**CinderellasFaith:** Ugh, stepmom's pissed agein. I really really gotta go…

**TheBloody:** A few more minutes… come on… she wont mind…

**CinderellasFaith:** That's what you think!

**TheBloody:** then later?

**CinderellasFaith:** Later….

**TheBloody:** Promise?

**CinderellasFaith:** Yes… Bye

"FAITH!"

She closed the window and shut down her computer, sitting in the chair for just another minute, still smiling as she thought of _him_. She didn't know who he was. All she knew was that she was in love.

She stood up and headed up the stairs to the hall before her stepmother got a sore throat yelling for her. Not that she cared.

"There you are. Where's my breakfast?" Gwendolyn snapped, dressed in a short orange tube dress that did nothing to hide the fat that stuck out from everywhere.

Faith mentally puked. "Working on it," she said, heading to the kitchen. She remembered that she had an algebra test during the first period, and she stopped and turned around to face Gwendolyn. "Oh, I can't go to the café now 'cause I got a really big algebra test this morning and-"

She was cut off. "I don't care how big it is, you are going to the café and that's that. Now get me my breakfast before I'm late for my appointment!"

Faith sighed again and turned, heading to the kitchen to whip up a delicious batch of pancakes. About fifteen minutes later, when breakfast was ready on the table, the Wicked Stepsisters floated down the stairs and into the kitchen, first the crazy one and then the peroxide-blond hairspray bimbo. Or Drusilla and Harmony. They were closely followed by their mother, whose stilettos clicked so loudly on the floor that Faith was glad she had to leave for the café then. She grabbed her bag from the table and started out the back door.

"Where are you going?" Gwendolyn demanded.

"To the café," Faith called over her shoulder, stating the obvious.

She got into her car – a run-down faded blue convertible – and drove off towards the café, thinking that maybe she could do some last-minute studying there since Gwendolyn wouldn't be there. Tara and the others would totally understand. She smiled.

**A/N: Well. This is the first chapter. How'd you like it? Cookies are a big hit with the reviewers of my other stories, so help yourself to chocolate-chip cookies (with nuts) on your way to the little blue button that says 'Submit Review' okay?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The plot and the characters do not belong to any of us. The characters belong to Joss Whedon and the plot basically follows 'A Cinderella Story'.**

**A/N: This story will be co-written with my really good friend and Buffy-Charmed fanatic, WaningMoon a.k.a. Bhavna. As I said before, the plot belongs to 'A Cinderella Story'. This story is AU and we _might_ change the characters' personalities as we go along.**

Chapter 2 

Faith parked her car behind the café. She climbed out of the car, grabbing her book before entering through the back door.

After Dad died, Gwen changed a lot of things about the décor of the café. Thankfully for me, she didn't change the staff. Tara, Fred and Gunn still work here. They're family. I've known them forever.

"Tara? Is it ok if I study for my algebra test? It's later today," Faith asked the head waitress. 

"Sure, sweetie," Tara replied with a smile.

Tara's like my big sister. As far as I can get, Tara fell out with her father and moved out. Somehow or other, she ended up here working for Dad. She used to be pretty soft-spoken and shy but not anymore.

_**Well, at least when Oz isn't around.**_

Faith made her way to the store, where a small desk had been placed for her use.

"Yo, Fai. Gonna study?" Gunn asked the teen with a big smile.

Faith grinned back. "Yeah. You any good at algebra?"

"Hell, no. You might wanna ask Fred though."

Gunn's the big brother I never had. He lost his parents and sister at the age of nineteen. He started working here so he could pay his rent. He's really overprotective of me and Tara. He calls us his white sisters. He's always sneaking me food and stuff when Gwen's not around.

"Oh! Faith, you're gonna do algebra? I love algebra!" Fred exclaimed.

"Great! Then could you help me?" Faith asked.

"Ya know I wanta but we got work," Fred looked sadly at the girl, her Texan accent becoming more noticeable.

Fred's Texan. Her full name's Winifred Burkle. She's dating Gunn and she's the sweetest person. She's a whole lotta fun and a barrel of laughs. She eats practically anything.

Faith sat at 'her' desk and stared at the framed photo she had placed there. It had been taken on her sixteenth birthday. Surrounding her were Tara, Gunn, Fred, her best bud Xander and Oz, a singer and regular at the café.

**_Oz is a singer. He's in this up and coming band called The Dingoes Ate My Baby. He's the bass player. He comes pretty often too the café and I have a feeling it's not just because of the food. There's something going on between him and Tara, I'm sure of it._**

**_I love them so much, and they're the only family I have left. I know the only reason they're still here is 'cos of me. I'm scared of losing them._**

* * *

Faith pressed the horn. She cringed sheepishly when she saw Mr. Harris jump.

"Sorry, Mr. H," she called.

Mr. Harris grinned slightly, as if to say that it was okay. "Xander will be out in a sec."

Faith raised her eyebrows at her friend when he came out of the house in bright red track pants and track jacket with chains dangling round his neck.

**_I've known Xander for, like, ever. He's an actor, always pretending to be someone he's not. What he is, however, is a geek. Not that it's a bad thing. He's my best friend in the whole wide world._**

"Who you supposed to be today?"

"Eminem."

"Eminem **never** wore anything like that. And there's no way I am driving you dressed like that. Go change."

"What?"

"Let me rephrase that. Go change, or walk," Faith smiled sweetly at her friend.

Xander glared at her before stomping back towards the house. Five minutes later they pulled out from the house, Xander dressed in jeans, a shirt and hat and looking pretty normal.

"Good," Faith said, nodding her approval.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Can I come in now?"

"Go ahead." She checked her watch. "Might wanna hurry before all the good parking spots get taken up."

Xander got in, closing the door behind him, and Faith started up her Mustang and drove off, beginning the drive to school.

* * *

Faith drove the car into the students' parking lot, cruising around for a suitable place. Spotting one, she had just started making her way for it when a convertible pulled up in the space, filled with cheerleaders. Faith narrowed her eyes, glimpsing the heads of head cheerleader and school bitch, Buffy Summers, and her sidekick, Cordelia Chase, and Buffy's sister, Dawn Summers.

**_Buffy Summers. School bitch who's definitely out to get me. I think once upon a time we might have been friends or something, but then in fourth grade we went to separate summer camps and she came back bitchified. She's the stereotypical cheerleader, peppy and blonde. Enough said. _**

_**Cordelia Chase could do without Buffy's company. She was the new girl, and she was pretty nice, until Buffy reeled her in like a fish, inviting her to join the Buffettes. Now she's like Buffy's right-hand. She's got brown hair and a body that can carry off any outfit. Unlike my stepmother, who thinks she can. Cordelia knows she's pretty and she's not afraid to use it to her advantage whenever she can.**_

**_Dawn's Buffy's little sister, as mentioned above. She tries too hard. Like my stepsisters. All three of them want to be liked by Buffy. They practically worship the ground she walks on. It makes me want to throw up._**

Buffy gave Faith a satisfied smirk. "You snooze, you lose, café girl."

Xander noticed Faith's grip on the steering wheel tighten, and that was never a good sign. "Hey, chill, Faith. There's no point in wasting your time on them."

Faith nodded and loosened her grip a little, driving past the pep squad in search of another parking space. This time, she found one under a tree and smiled. _Perfect_, she thought.

Before she could so much as move the car, a jeep pulled up in her selected space, making it the second time that day.

Faith swore, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel in frustration as she waited for the passengers to leave the car so she could at least see who they were.

"Oh, great," she muttered to Xander. "First the cheerleaders, then the jocks."

"That's life, my friend," Xander replied.

Out of the car came three football players, Spike LeChance, Angel Scott and Connor Fielding.

_**The jocks. Let's start with Spike, shall we? Spike's real name is actually William, but for some reason he wants to be called Spike. Bite me. He's got blonde hair that is so obviously dyed because it's just really…blonde. Actually, I think if he wasn't a jock, he might actually be hot. I hate jocks. He and Buffy are an item, the school's power couple. Way too much cliché.**_

_**There's not really too much of a difference between Angel and Connor, except that Connor's way more gangly and lanky. They're kinda like Cordelia and Dawn, except that they're guys and all. Angel makes moves on Buffy sometimes, especially in Algebra. I sit behind them, and you have no idea how irritating it is to have to watch them flirt with each other. They pass notes, and since I sit behind Buffy I can read every word they write. I know I shouldn't do that, but its fun. Do you know that Angel actually calls her "my little bunny"? Ugh. Can you say lame much?**_

Faith narrowed her eyes and opened up the glove compartment, rummaging around for something.

"Uh, Faith, dare I ask what it is that you seek?" Xander asked cautiously.

"I'm pretty sure I have a couple of throwing knives somewhere in here," she replied casually.

Xander's eyes widened, and he put his hands over Faith's, pulling them out. "Snap out of it, Faith. I told you there's no point in wasting your time over them."

Faith pulled her hands away, putting them on the steering wheel. "I hate it when you're right. Isn't it sad that looks can't kill?"

Xander gave her a sympathetic smile. "If looks could kill then everyone wouldn't really be alive, would they?"

Faith rolled her eyes, ignoring the jocks as she drove past, resuming her search for a parking place before the school bell rang to signal the start of classes. She found another one within moments, and realized that a bunch of geeks were eyeing the same spot. She narrowed her eyes and floored it, giving a triumphant smile as she heard their groans.

"And just in time, too," Xander said as the bell rang. The two got out of the car and made their way to the school building.

"Maybe if you hadn't worn that stupid Eminem outfit we might have got a better spot and had plenty of time to spare," Faith shot back.

"Point taken."

Faith paused at the front steps, turning to look at Xander. "Meet you later in lunch?"

Xander nodded. "Later."

The two split up to go to their own classes.

**A/N: What did you think? If you press the 'Submit Review' button and tell me, I'll make you nachos…. Their very tasty… and no ones died eating them yet……**


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